27th Mar 2018

INTERVIEW: 5 Minutes with Brad Simpson and Connor Ball from The Vamps

Following the success of their #1 third studio album ‘Night & Day’, The Vamps are set to embark on a thirteen date mammoth tour with a stop at Birmingham’s Genting Arena on Friday 4th May.

Coming off their biggest single ever ‘All Night’ with 300 million global streams and a number one UK album, The Vamps will continue to be center stage in 2018 and will take the U.K. by storm. Vampettes get ready!

As they begin tour rehearsals, SIXTY9’s Francesca Arculeo caught up with Brad Simpson and Connor Ball to find out what fans can expect from the upcoming tour.

Let’s take it all the way back to the beginning to when you uploaded that first video onto youtube, did you ever think that you’d be here now and achieved what you have?

Brad: Not at all, I don’t think any musician gets into it with the expectation of playing arenas, you just kind of do it because you love it and a couple of your mates go “oh you should do that”. We’re very lucky!

You’ve just started rehearsals for the tour, how is that going?

Connor: Really good. We’ve only had like one day but we’re getting into it this week fully and going in on all the songs and some new songs as well.

Exciting, so it all kind of feels real now?

Brad: Yes especially because we’re playing like Connor said a load of new songs off the upcoming album that no one’s heard before, so it’s very exciting.

What can fans expect from this tour, do you have any surprises in store?

Brad: There will be.

Connor: For sure, yeah

You don’t want to let them slip just yet?

Both: No

Brad: James in a harness is the only bit we’re letting slip.

We’ll have to wait and see! You’re both local to Birmingham and you’re stopping off here on the tour this May, have you got anything special in store for that show? Have you got friends and family coming down to celebrate?

You’re season pro’s now at touring you’ve been everywhere and anywhere, do you have any tour rituals or essentials for surviving life on tour?

Brad: Berocca

Connor: Berrocca’s good and you have like Manuka Honey

Brad: Yeah Manuka Honey and Ginger

Do you have anything crazy on your tour rider?

Brad: No we’re all pretty chill.

Other than the new songs, are there any other songs you’re really looking forward to performing?

Connor: There’s a song that we’re doing from the first album but we’re doing it in a different way, the production is completely different to how you would hear it on the album so we’re excited for that.

Are there any covers at all?

Brad: Maybe, it’s still early days so we’re still working out the set list.

What’s next after the tour is it festivals, straight into the studio for the fourth album or holidays?

Brad: We’ve had a lot of holidays in fairness, we need to get working! I think more writing, we have a week off and then we go and do two weeks in Europe which will be wicked and then America in the summer. It’s all going on.

Do you get to sightsee while you’re on tour or is it pretty much strictly tour, tour tour?

Connor: A little bit
Brad: Europe’s more relaxed, I’d say. We get to see a bit of the city which is nice

The fourth album, is there anything you can tell us about it, any collaborations on the horizon?

Both: Potentially

Brad: There’s one that’s really different we’re just waiting to finalise that so fingers crossed but it’s definitely a development and it feels like we’re going back to where we started on the first album in terms of it’s much more bandy

Is there anyone you want to collaborate with that you haven’t yet?

Connor: Macklemore!

Brad: Yeah that would be sick.

Thanks guys, Good Luck with the tour and looking forward to seeing what else you have in store this year.